Artwork inspired by Barbie dolls to be exhibited in Leesburg

Christine Cole, Correspondent

LEESBURG — People don't usually think of art when they think of the Barbie doll, but Amy Griffin did.

When Griffin, executive director of the Leesburg Center for the Arts, had a collection of the pert and popular dolls donated for use in an auction, she started looking around for ideas and found one (almost) right under her nose.

Artist Cheryl Cabrera, who lives in Savannah, Ga., but teaches one day a week at the University of Central Florida, started painting Barbies in 1990.

Her pixelated Barbies and her Barbies-in-art-history series will open at an artist's reception from 5 to 7 p. m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Leesburg Center for the Arts.

Cabrera started painting in magnified pixels to suit herself.

"I had bad eyesight," she said. "When I was working in Photoshop, I took my glasses off and saw the images as blurred. So I started using big pixels. Now I could have art on the walls that I could actually enjoy. Up close, the pixel Barbies are blurry, but as you step back they become more clear."

Cabrera understands the outcry at Barbie's unlifelike proportions, but doesn't let that get in the way of her warm memories.

"I loved Barbie," she said. "I liked living vicariously through Barbie. I could be anything I wanted to be. I had her townhouse, her boat, her camper. I could dress her up to be anything I wanted."

Cabrera hopes people will notice she mixes each square pixel separately.

Her Barbies-in-art-history came from a lesson she taught years ago to students.

"We would paint the school mascot as if it were painted by certain artists," she said. "It was a way to connect art history to contemporary objects. I just thought it was fun."

The reception will include the auction of the Barbies and a live Barbie fashion show.

The exhibit will continue at the center, 429 N. Magnolia St., through Dec. 13. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon Friday and Saturday.